Jeremy Hammond’s attorneys have submitted a sentencing memorandum on his behalf asking for a sentence of time served. 265 people have written letters of support on his behalf calling for a sentence of time-served, including friends, family, journalists, academics, members of the tech community, and noted whistleblowers. Below are quotes from a small percentage of these letters.
Daniel Ellsberg
Jesselyn Radack
Richard Stallman
Baher Azmy
Maureen Eckert
Gabriella Coleman
Professor Coleman’s teaching, research and writing focus on computer hacking and electronic dissent, and the Anonymous movement.
Julian Assange, WikiLeaks, Editor-in-Chief
Aissa Garcia, Telesur in Mexico, Director
Stania Mauizi, L’Espresso, Journalists
Jean Marc Manach, Lemonde, Journalist
Peter Ludlow
Michael Ratner
The Yes Men
Brad Thomson
People’s Law Office
Chicago, IL
Michael Pitula
Jerome Boyle
Met Jeremy Hammond when working as Legal Observer, National Lawyer’s Guild, Chicago and neighbor, has known him for about 8 years
Debra Michaud
Worked very closely with Hammond on environmental issues for a couple of years.
Jason Hammond
FEATURED LETTERS
Daniel Ellsberg
Former United States Military Analyst who, while employed by the RAND Corporation, precipitated a national political controversy in 1971 when he released the Pentagon Papers.
“As the first person prosecuted in the US for unauthorized disclosure, I continue to be a supporter for the need for whistle blowing to maintain a constitutional republic and avoid grave governmental abuses. My decision to go public with the Pentagon Papers was a difficult one. At my own risk, I released them, just as Jeremy Hammond has done. I believe the actions taken by Jeremy Hammond need to be viewed in a context that considers the profound consequences of private surveillance of political activists in the United States.”
Jesselyn Radack
Director, National Security & Human Rights, Government Accountability Project
Whistleblower and former ethics adviser to the United States Department of Justice
“[Jeremy Hammond] performed an act of civil disobedience out of a deeply held belief that the people have a right to know what the government and unregulated corporations are doing behind closed doors against them. He is a patriot who only sought to provide transparency and expose the surveillance crimes being perpetrated on the American people.”
Richard Stallman
Lead developer, GNU system, MacArthur Fellow, President, Free Software Foundation
“Jeremy Hammond is a fine example of a socially responsible hacker.”
Baher Azmy
Legal Director, Center for Constitutional Rights
“The CFAA [Computer Fraud and Abuse Act] was drafted in order to address and deter self-interested or malicious hacking or theft of computer services and systems, however, it has been increasingly used – and in our view, abused – by federal prosecutors in order to target socially-conscious activists who choose to leak sensitive information to media organizations in an effort to highlight corporate or government wrongdoing….There can be little doubt that Mr. Hammond acted for political purposes, not for financial gain or with venal intent. He leaked information to the media in the interest of greater transparency for the American public on the issue of unlawful surveillance by corporations. For this act of conscience, he has already endured 19 months of pre-trial detention.”
Maureen Eckert
Philosophy Professor
University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth
“Jeremy Hammond’s political activism, often called ‘hactivism,’ is a new context in which Civil Disobedience has emerged with respect to technology in the 21st century.”
Gabriella Coleman
Wolfe Chair in Scientific and Technological Literacy
Department of Art History & Communications Studies
McGill University
Professor Coleman’s teaching, research and writing focus on computer hacking and electronic dissent, and the Anonymous movement.
“Given what I know about Jeremy Hammond and Anonymous, there is no doubt in my mind his participation and his actions were politically principled and constitute civil disobedience….If punishments for intended acts of civil disobedience are excessive, an entire generation conditioned to engage online will be robbed of the opportunity to exercise their beliefs through direct action and civil disobedience in their chosen venue.’
Letter signed by sixteen editors and journalists representing international media outlets in fifteen countries with a combined audience of 500 million people.
Among the Signatories:Julian Assange, WikiLeaks, Editor-in-Chief
Aissa Garcia, Telesur in Mexico, Director
Stania Mauizi, L’Espresso, Journalists
Jean Marc Manach, Lemonde, Journalist
“In 2011 our news outlets published articles using documents allegedly obtained by Mr. Jeremy Hammond…The information allegedly disclosed has helped to keep the public informed about serious wrongdoings of corporations and corrupt governmental officers in more than fifteen countries….These publications have led to important public interest outcomes.”
Peter Ludlow
Professor, Northwestern University
“Jeremy’s work as a hacktivist was revelatory…his exploratory hacking helped expose the scope and nature of the private intelligence industry.”
Michael Ratner
President Emeritus of the Center for Constitutional Rights
“The Stratfor documents have now given us the understanding that private intelligence companies may be a bigger problem for civil liberties than our own government…”
The Yes Men
Andy Bichlbaum and Mike Bonnano
“We are the Yes Men, a team of filmmaker-activists who use satire to raise awareness of important social issues. The case of Mr. Jeremy Hammond is highly compelling to us because he is a man whose righteous intentions are the same as those which fuel our own efforts to improve our communities and the world. It is distressing to us that he faces such repercussions for taking actions that were only meant to bring positive change.”
PERSONAL FRIENDS AND ACQUAINTANCES
Brad Thomson
A paralegal at a Chicago law firm, who has known Jeremy Hammond personally for a number of years
People’s Law OfficeChicago, IL
“Jeremy’s public service here in Chicago has been far-reaching. I knew him to be active with and supportive of organizations to end hunger, to end sexism and to end environmental degradation and the negative health impacts that come from it. He supported groups working for racial justice, struggling against neighborhood displacement, supportive of the rights of immigrants and building diverse communities. Instead of using his abilities for personal wealth or fame, he chose to volunteer at community computer clinics that assist young people and underprivileged individuals from the community in learning basic computer skills necessary to do their homework, write a resume or design a website.”
Michael Pitula
A GED and adult literacy instructor who interacted with Jeremy for a number of years while working as a community organizer
“I have personally known Jeremy Hammond for about ten years through his community involvement here in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs. Rather than use his talents for personal wealth or fame, he would regularly conduct research, help set up websites or provide other technical assistance to non-profit organizations or community groups committed to social justice. Jeremy’s public service here in Chicago has been extensive. He has been an ally to groups working for human rights and environmental justice and build healthy and diverse communities.”
Jerome Boyle
Alvin E. Block & Associates
Met Jeremy Hammond when working as Legal Observer, National Lawyer’s Guild, Chicago and neighbor, has known him for about 8 years
“I have known Jeremy Hammond for approximately 8 years. As someone who was present at many of the events leading to his arrest, or present at the police lock-ups afterward, or both, I can assure you that Jeremy was always driven, not by any selfish motive, but rather by an exceedingly altruistic commitment to the causes which he advocated. Jeremy lived an ascetic life, scraping by on barely enough resources to survive. Instead of looking out for himself, he saw it as his duty to look out for others, and to help others when they needed it. He could always be counted on to help a friend or neighbor in need, frequently at the cost of substantial personal sacrifice. And his self-sacrifice extended even to what is, to him, his most precious possession, i.e. his personal liberty.”
Debra Michaud
Chicago business owner, founder of the Chicago Chapter of the Rainforest Action Network
Worked very closely with Hammond on environmental issues for a couple of years.
“Jeremy’s values can probably best be understood by looking at the close-knit community he created. Jeremy’s world-view is a communal one, where people take care of and support one another. His home had an open door – if someone needed a place to stay, a warm meal, or an ear, they found a haven there. The generosity and openness of that home was palpable to any outsider who entered. Jeremy worked not to make or save money or buy possessions, not to make a name for himself or gain recognition. He comes from a place of selflessness. His deep compassion was most obvious in public events when it was always invariably Jeremy who straggled behind the crowd to help carry or push his disabled friend in a wheelchair. It was always Jeremy who made sure that no one was left behind.”
Jason Hammond
Jeremy Hammond’s brother
“His arrest has had a tragic effect on our family and the community where Jeremy lived. It’s a big emotional loss to miss family member so much and it has also prevented a committed individual from continuing to support those in the neighborhood and the city he loves.”
“Jeremy’s actions were a continuation of his belief in the importance of open and informed discussion about political and social issues.”
To read the sentencing memorandum on behalf of Jeremy Hammond and all letters written by Jeremy supporters, please visit the Legal Documents section of this website.
Originally published in The Guardian
Lawyers acting for Jeremy Hammond, the Chicago-based hacktivist facing up to 10 years in prison for releasing internal emails from the private intelligence agency Stratfor, have lodged 265 letters of support with the federal judge who will determine his sentence on 15 November.
The letters call on judge Loretta Preska of the US district court for the southern district of New York to show leniency towards Hammond, a former member of the hacking network Anonymous who has become a cause célèbre for hacktivists, civil libertarians and those concerned about the rights of whistleblowers. They include 36 submissions from leading data experts and freedom of information campaigners.
Among the correspondents are Daniel Ellsberg, source of the 1970s Pentagon Papers leak on the Vietnam war, and Jesselyn Radack, a former Justice Department whistleblower who now works at the Government Accountability Project.
Other letters come from Hammond’s family and friends from the Chicago area who testify to his community work. One correspondent recounts how he was offered shelter by Hammond when he was homeless on the streets of Chicago.
Hammond, 28, has pleaded guilty to one count under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) relating to a 2011 cyber attack on Strategic Forecasting, Inc, known as Stratfor – an information analysis company based in Austin, Texas. Working alongside a fellow hacker operating under the internet handle Sabu – who was later revealed to be an FBI informant – Hammond downloaded an email spool from Stratfor containing millions of files and sent the data to the anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks which released them as the “Global Intelligence Files”.
In a memorandum to the court, Hammond’s lawyers describe the hack as an “act of civil disobedience” emanating from his concern about the mushrooming of the private security industry that now accounts for 70% of all government spending on intelligence. The memo points out that he did not benefit personally from the action and that the government has confirmed there is no evidence of any financial motivation.
The Guardian has spoken to several experts and individuals close to Jeremy Hammond who believe that he acted in good faith as a whistleblower and that a maximum 10-year sentence would be a travesty of justice. Here we post their views on a landmark case whose outcome could have grave ramifications for hacktivists and whistleblowers across the US:
Roy Singham, chairman of ThoughtWorks, a global IT consultancy where open-data crusader Aaron Swartz was employed at the time he committed suicide while facing prosecution under the CFAA:
Lawyers acting for Jeremy Hammond, the Chicago-based hacktivist facing up to 10 years in prison for releasing internal emails from the private intelligence agency Stratfor, have lodged 265 letters of support with the federal judge who will determine his sentence on 15 November.
The letters call on judge Loretta Preska of the US district court for the southern district of New York to show leniency towards Hammond, a former member of the hacking network Anonymous who has become a cause célèbre for hacktivists, civil libertarians and those concerned about the rights of whistleblowers. They include 36 submissions from leading data experts and freedom of information campaigners.
Among the correspondents are Daniel Ellsberg, source of the 1970s Pentagon Papers leak on the Vietnam war, and Jesselyn Radack, a former Justice Department whistleblower who now works at the Government Accountability Project.
Other letters come from Hammond’s family and friends from the Chicago area who testify to his community work. One correspondent recounts how he was offered shelter by Hammond when he was homeless on the streets of Chicago.
Hammond, 28, has pleaded guilty to one count under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) relating to a 2011 cyber attack on Strategic Forecasting, Inc, known as Stratfor – an information analysis company based in Austin, Texas. Working alongside a fellow hacker operating under the internet handle Sabu – who was later revealed to be an FBI informant – Hammond downloaded an email spool from Stratfor containing millions of files and sent the data to the anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks which released them as the “Global Intelligence Files”.
In a memorandum to the court, Hammond’s lawyers describe the hack as an “act of civil disobedience” emanating from his concern about the mushrooming of the private security industry that now accounts for 70% of all government spending on intelligence. The memo points out that he did not benefit personally from the action and that the government has confirmed there is no evidence of any financial motivation.
The Guardian has spoken to several experts and individuals close to Jeremy Hammond who believe that he acted in good faith as a whistleblower and that a maximum 10-year sentence would be a travesty of justice. Here we post their views on a landmark case whose outcome could have grave ramifications for hacktivists and whistleblowers across the US:
Roy Singham, chairman of ThoughtWorks, a global IT consultancy where open-data crusader Aaron Swartz was employed at the time he committed suicide while facing prosecution under the CFAA:
Innovation happens when people are experimenting at the edges of their social, intellectual and technological abilities. When you charge Aaron Swartz or Jeremy Hammond with computer crimes you are scaring away some of the smartest young people from thinking about issues that actually matter, and that has a massive chilling effect.Jason Hammond, Jeremy’s twin brother:
I’m disappointed about the silence of the tech industry over this case. You don’t hear the tech giants coming out and condemning what happened to Aaron or what is now happening to Jeremy, which I consider an abuse of state power.
My brother didn’t do computer hacking for its own sake, or for personal gain – he did it because of his entire world view. He is an anarchist, an anti-war activist, an egalitarian. He wants to see the world free of over-reaching powers of government and corporations.Peter Ludlow, professor of philosophy at Northwestern University in Illinois:
If there were not people like Jeremy, Edward Snowden, Chelsea Manning exposing betrayals of people’s trust, then we would not know today the extent to which private individuals’ information is gathered, analyzed, and sold to private corporations and governments. We would not now be having the debate across the country about whether the NSA and private intelligence companies are going too far.
That’s the discussion that Jeremy wanted to encourage. The information that has been posted on WikiLeaks has been an eye opener for many, who are realizing they cannot trust the government to protect their privacy.
Jeremy Hammond represents something new: he was a political activist first – an old-school Chicago boots on the ground activist who happened to be a gifted computer programmer. He has introduced a lot of hackers to a level of political maturity that they didn’t previously have.Raven Rakia, a film-maker based in Bhopal, India. The Stratfor emails revealed that the agency had been contracted by Dow Chemical, parent company of Union Carbide which owned the Bhopal pesticide plant where the world’s worst industrial catastrophe took place in 1984, to follow the activities of campaigners seeking redress for the victims:
He was not interested in personal gain, and the Stratfor site had already been hacked before he entered it. His goal was to expose the scope and nature of the private intelligence industry – and along the way he exposed an organized and well-funded system of deception targetting American citizens and others worldwide.
Jeremy Hammond doesn’t deserve 10 years in prison. In my eyes, Jeremy doesn’t deserve to be in prison right now. Corporations spying on people warrant the same outrage as when governments spy on people. The activists of the Bhopal disaster had every right to know that Dow Chemical was spying on them and their efforts.Andy Bichlbaum and Mike Bonanno of the “Yes Men”, the satirical duo who impersonate powerful people to make political points. They learned from the Stratfor emails that Dow Chemicals asked the intelligence firm to look into their activities in the wake of one of their pranks in which they had posed in a BBC interview as a Dow spokesman and offered $12bn in compensation to Bhopal victims:
The survivors of the Bhopal disaster are faced with serious health problems and their children and grandchildren have health issues and birth defects. These activists – who are asking for compensation for healthcare/research and for Dow Chemical to stop using dangerous, lethal chemicals in their city – are literally fighting for their lives. They deserve to know the truth.
Jeremy may have broken the law, but companies like Dow that are employing third parties to follow the activities of victims’ groups are breaking every code of human decency. Jeremy performed an ethical service – he revealed a network of lies and secrecy that we think the public should know about.Regan Maher, friend of Jeremy Hammond:
It’s a pretty deplorable state of affairs when they put people like him in jail – it would be obscene to sentence him to 10 years. His actions didn’t hurt anybody, and we learnt an important truth about who was spying on whom. That seems to us to have been a net gain.
Jeremy and I were neighbors in the Pilsen area of Chicago. As we grew closer, I worked alongside him organizing a number of activist community projects that brought food, books, and other critical resources to people in need.Stefania Maurizi, investigative journalist for the Italian magazine, L’Espresso:
We first worked together as volunteers to cook food for the homeless. Later we collaborated for several years on a project to send free books to prison inmates. He attended this service group consistently, week after week – he was the one person I knew I could always depend on.
I believe that Jeremy deserves compassion because I have never seen him act out of any motivation besides the kindness of his heart. He is not a person with an ego, or something to prove. I know without a doubt that he acted out of a sense of justice. Jeremy gained absolutely nothing from what he has done, though he took a great risk to get there. He is a person who cares for the world with a great compassion and I truly believe that he will recognize the wrong that he has done, and move on to live up to his potential.
I teamed up with news outlets around the world to reasearch and publish stories based on the Stratfor files database, and wrote several articles on the back of it including how Stratfor analysts view Italian politicians like the former PM Mario Monti or controversial leader Silvio Berlusconi. The material was in the public interest, throwing up newsworthy stories such as an alleged indictment against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. It is also important because it provides a unique insight into the methods, sources and values of a private intelligence company and its close links to government agencies.
As a journalist who worked on Stratfor files, I feel I have duty of care to Jeremy Hammond. He released information in the public interest, he did not sell it. For him to face 10 years in jail, while CIA agents involved in rendition and torture, are free as the air – I do not call this justice.
Art by Molly Crabapple
This fundraiser event will include notable speakers, musical performances, and the auctioning of items. Barrett Brown and Jeremy Hammond, whose cases are connected, are known for exposing the illegal private spying done by Stratfor, and for their association with Anonymous. Barrett faces up to 105 years in prison and is awaiting trial, while Jeremy faces up to 10 years after taking a non-cooperating plea agreement.
If you cannot attend the fundraiser but would still like to contribute to the joint fund for both Jeremy and Barrett, donations are being accepted here.
YOU’RE INVITED
Admission: $20 minimum
7pm-11pm | Monday, August 19, 2013
At ThoughtWorks NYC | 99 Madison Ave 15th Floor, NYC 10016
Facebook RSVP | Media RSVP: Admin@FreeBarrettBrown.org or 781-771-7379
7pm-11pm | Monday, August 19, 2013
At ThoughtWorks NYC | 99 Madison Ave 15th Floor, NYC 10016
Facebook RSVP | Media RSVP: Admin@FreeBarrettBrown.org or 781-771-7379
SPEAKERS WILL INCLUDE
Michael Ratner is the President Emeritus of the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) and is the United States attorney for WikiLeaks.Kevin M. Gallagher is the director and founder of Free Barrett Brown, a support network, nonprofit advocacy organization and legal defense fund formed for the purpose of assisting the prominent internet activist and journalist, Barrett Brown.
Alexa O’Brien is an activist and journalist. Her tireless coverage and transcription of the Court Marshal of Pfc. Bradley Manning have made her an invaluable resource for the mainstream media and has helped shine a light on the landmark proceeding.
Jay Leiderman is a California-based lawyer who has represented many people associated with Anonymous.
Tor Ekeland is a New York-based lawyer who is the lead attorney for Andrew Auernheimer, who was convicted under the CFAA (Computer Fraud and Abuse Act).
Stanley Cohen is a political activist and criminal defense attorney who has represented members of the PayPal 14, a group of people who were charged for an online protest against PayPal for blocking donations to WikiLeaks.
Emily Kunstler is an activist and documentary filmmaker who is involved in Jeremy Hammond’s defense team.
PERFORMANCES BY
Arthur Smilios is a writer, artist, and bassist for the seminal New York Hardcore Punk outfit The Gorilla Biscuits, as well as CIV, and most recently The Walter Schreifels Band.Anthony Atamanuik is a writer, actor, and comedian. He performs regularly at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, and has appeared on Adult Swim, MTV, Comedy Central, and NBC’s 30 Rock.
AUCTION ITEMS FROM
Molly Crabapple is an artist and writer whose work can be found in the permanent collections of the New York Historical Society, the Rubin Museum of Art, and the Groucho Club.Shepard Fairey is one of today’s best known and most influential illustrators. His work is included in the collections at The Smithsonian, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond, and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
Dave Navarro became one of alternative rock’s first true guitar heroes with such notorious bands as Jane’s Addiction and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Glen Friedman has long been considered a vital part of the modern cutting-edge subcultures. His photography goes far beyond simply documenting the scenes and key players of the skate, punk and early hip-hop cultures; he provides firsthand insight into the science of defiance that drove the progression and art of the participants.
And more…!
Last Tuesday morning, as storm clouds formed outside the federal courthouse in lower Manhattan, Jeremy Hammond pleaded guilty to one count of violating the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. His crime was publicizing internal emails from the private intelligence agency Stratfor which revealed that the company had been spying on human rights activists at the behest of major corporations and the U.S. government. For that he is facing up to 10 years in prison.
In a statement explaining his actions Jeremy wrote, “I believe people have a right to know what governments and corporations are doing behind closed doors. I did what I believe is right.”
That afternoon, Jeremy’s twin brother, Jason, launched an online petition calling for the judge to grant Jeremy a sentence of time served. Jeremy has already spent 15 months in prison, including weeks in solitary confinement. Three of his Irish and British co-defendants are walking free today and none of the remaining three will spend more time in prison than Jeremy already has pre-sentencing.
Jason is pushing against the entire weight of the federal criminal justice system—the same system that drove Aaron Swartz to suicide—and he can’t do it alone. If you haven’t already, please join Jason in saying that Jeremy has spent enough time in jail by signing the petition at Change.org. If you have already signed, please tell your friends, family members, and co-workers to sign.
If you’re in the New York City area this weekend, you can support Jeremy by joining a solidarity demonstration outside of the Metropolitan Correctional Center on Friday night, June 7. A gathering will form outside Pace University just after the opening session of the Left Forum at 9:15 p.m. and proceed to MCC. Attendees are encouraged to bring musical instruments and noisemakers.
The Jeremy Hammond Defense Committee will be tabling throughout the three days of the Left Forum (June 7-9) and people interested in learning more about the context of Jeremy’s prosecution are encouraged to attend a Sunday, June 7 panel entitled “Information Activism: the Fifth Estate.” The panel will take place from 12:00-2:00 p.m. at Pace University and feature anthropologist Gabriella Coleman, independent journalist Will Potter, defense attorney Grainne O’Neill (a member of Jeremy’s legal team) and National Lawyers Guild Mass Defense Coordinator Abi Hassen. For more information click here.
In a statement explaining his actions Jeremy wrote, “I believe people have a right to know what governments and corporations are doing behind closed doors. I did what I believe is right.”
That afternoon, Jeremy’s twin brother, Jason, launched an online petition calling for the judge to grant Jeremy a sentence of time served. Jeremy has already spent 15 months in prison, including weeks in solitary confinement. Three of his Irish and British co-defendants are walking free today and none of the remaining three will spend more time in prison than Jeremy already has pre-sentencing.
Jason is pushing against the entire weight of the federal criminal justice system—the same system that drove Aaron Swartz to suicide—and he can’t do it alone. If you haven’t already, please join Jason in saying that Jeremy has spent enough time in jail by signing the petition at Change.org. If you have already signed, please tell your friends, family members, and co-workers to sign.
If you’re in the New York City area this weekend, you can support Jeremy by joining a solidarity demonstration outside of the Metropolitan Correctional Center on Friday night, June 7. A gathering will form outside Pace University just after the opening session of the Left Forum at 9:15 p.m. and proceed to MCC. Attendees are encouraged to bring musical instruments and noisemakers.
The Jeremy Hammond Defense Committee will be tabling throughout the three days of the Left Forum (June 7-9) and people interested in learning more about the context of Jeremy’s prosecution are encouraged to attend a Sunday, June 7 panel entitled “Information Activism: the Fifth Estate.” The panel will take place from 12:00-2:00 p.m. at Pace University and feature anthropologist Gabriella Coleman, independent journalist Will Potter, defense attorney Grainne O’Neill (a member of Jeremy’s legal team) and National Lawyers Guild Mass Defense Coordinator Abi Hassen. For more information click here.
Today I pleaded guilty to one count of violating the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. This was a very difficult decision. I hope this statement will explain my reasoning. I believe in the power of the truth. In keeping with that, I do not want to hide what I did or to shy away from my actions. This non-cooperating plea agreement frees me to tell the world what I did and why, without exposing any tactics or information to the government and without jeopardizing the lives and well-being of other activists on and offline.
During the past 15 months I have been relatively quiet about the specifics of my case as I worked with my lawyers to review the discovery and figure out the best legal strategy. There were numerous problems with the government’s case, including the credibility of FBI informant Hector Monsegur. However, because prosecutors stacked the charges with inflated damages figures, I was looking at a sentencing guideline range of over 30 years if I lost at trial. I have wonderful lawyers and an amazing community of people on the outside who support me. None of that changes the fact that I was likely to lose at trial. But, even if I was found not guilty at trial, the government claimed that there were eight other outstanding indictments against me from jurisdictions scattered throughout the country. If I had won this trial I would likely have been shipped across the country to face new but similar charges in a different district. The process might have repeated indefinitely. Ultimately I decided that the most practical route was to accept this plea with a maximum of a ten year sentence and immunity from prosecution in every federal court.
Now that I have pleaded guilty it is a relief to be able to say that I did work with Anonymous to hack Stratfor, among other websites. Those others included military and police equipment suppliers, private intelligence and information security firms, and law enforcement agencies. I did this because I believe people have a right to know what governments and corporations are doing behind closed doors. I did what I believe is right.
I have already spent 15 months in prison. For several weeks of that time I have been held in solitary confinement. I have been denied visits and phone calls with my family and friends. This plea agreement spares me, my family, and my community a repeat of this grinding process.
I would like to thank all of my friends and supporters for their amazing and ongoing gestures of solidarity. Today I am glad to shoulder the responsibility for my actions and to move one step closer to daylight.
Jeremy Hammond
During the past 15 months I have been relatively quiet about the specifics of my case as I worked with my lawyers to review the discovery and figure out the best legal strategy. There were numerous problems with the government’s case, including the credibility of FBI informant Hector Monsegur. However, because prosecutors stacked the charges with inflated damages figures, I was looking at a sentencing guideline range of over 30 years if I lost at trial. I have wonderful lawyers and an amazing community of people on the outside who support me. None of that changes the fact that I was likely to lose at trial. But, even if I was found not guilty at trial, the government claimed that there were eight other outstanding indictments against me from jurisdictions scattered throughout the country. If I had won this trial I would likely have been shipped across the country to face new but similar charges in a different district. The process might have repeated indefinitely. Ultimately I decided that the most practical route was to accept this plea with a maximum of a ten year sentence and immunity from prosecution in every federal court.
Now that I have pleaded guilty it is a relief to be able to say that I did work with Anonymous to hack Stratfor, among other websites. Those others included military and police equipment suppliers, private intelligence and information security firms, and law enforcement agencies. I did this because I believe people have a right to know what governments and corporations are doing behind closed doors. I did what I believe is right.
I have already spent 15 months in prison. For several weeks of that time I have been held in solitary confinement. I have been denied visits and phone calls with my family and friends. This plea agreement spares me, my family, and my community a repeat of this grinding process.
I would like to thank all of my friends and supporters for their amazing and ongoing gestures of solidarity. Today I am glad to shoulder the responsibility for my actions and to move one step closer to daylight.
Jeremy Hammond
Hammond held without bail for 15 months; supporters call for leniency.
Contact:Nathan Tempey
press@freejeremy.net(347) 948-4721
May 28, 2013
New York
In federal court this morning, Internet activist Jeremy Hammond pleaded guilty to publicizing internal emails from the private intelligence firm Stratfor through Wikileaks.
Hammond pleaded guilty as part of a non-cooperating plea agreement to one violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, which carries up to ten years in prison. He has been jailed for 15 months without bail at the Manhattan Correctional Center in New York City, has been denied family visits, and held for weeks in solitary confinement.
“Jeremy has taken responsibility for what he’s done, but he should not face such a harsh sentence for an act of protest from which he did not personally benefit,” said Hammond’s twin brother, Jason Hammond. “I’m glad he’s moved one step closer to freedom but today I’m asking for the judge to consider a sentence appropriate to what is nothing other than a non-violent political protest.”
Jason Hammond is circulating an online petition calling for Jeremy to be sentenced to time served and released. Click HERE to sign the petition.
A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for September 6.
The Stratfor leak was carried out by the online activist group Anonymous, with the participation of an FBI informant.
The Stratfor emails provided an important source for journalists, spurring articles in dozens of major news outlets around the world. Included among the leaked internal documents were millions of emails that exposed Stratfor’s wide-ranging spying activities, including surveillance of Bhopal activists at the behest of Dow Chemical, of PETA on behalf of Coca-Cola, and of Occupy Wall Street under contract to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
“Corporate-government surveillance is one of the most rapidly expanding threats to civil liberties today,” said Abi Hassen, mass defense coordinator for the National Lawyers Guild. “The Stratfor leak is a glimpse into a secret world of corporate spying that is incompatible with this country’s democratic values. Today’s hearing should be a springboard for further investigation of Stratfor, not an opportunity to condemn a young man to a decade in prison for his political activism.”
On May 14, three British Internet activists received prison sentences of two years to 32 months for their involvement in Anonymous leaks. All three are likely to be released on parole after serving half of their sentences. A fourth is free on a suspended sentence, as are two Irish men whom prosecutors declined to charge.
The Jeremy Hammond Defense Committee is a coalition of family members, activists, lawyers, and other supporters who are working together to protect free speech and to support Jeremy Hammond. For more information about the case and Jeremy Hammond, visit www.freejeremy.net.
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Jeremy’s next court date is on Tuesday, May 28 at 10 a.m. The presence of supporters is extremely important. If you are planning to attend, please wear court-appropriate clothes. Thanks in advance to everyone who can make it.
500 Pearl Street
Courtroom 12A
New York, NY
Gather beforehand in Foley Square.
500 Pearl Street
Courtroom 12A
New York, NY
Gather beforehand in Foley Square.
Jeremy Hammond imprisoned over a year, held without bail and with no access to family members
Abi Hassen
Mass Defense Coordinator
National Lawyers Guild
(347) 470-5859
abi@nlg.org
May 16, 2013
New York
Three English co-defendants who plead guilty to being members of the Lulzsec hacktivist group were today sentenced by a U.K. court. Ryan Acroyd, the most technically experienced of the three, received the longest sentence – he will spend 15 months in prison.
By contrast, their American co-defendant Jeremy Hammond has already spent 14 months awaiting trial in a federal case that carries charges that could result in up to 42 years of prison time – a virtual life sentence for the 28 year old. Hammond has been denied bail or access to family members.
“It’s a disturbing commentary on the U.S. criminal justice system that Jeremy Hammond, a young activist who is an asset to his community, will spend longer in pre-trial detention for his alleged participation in these online protests than any of his international codefendants will when they have fully served their sentences,” said National Lawyers Guild Executive Director Heidi Boghosian.
The three online activists, Ryan Ackroyd and Jake Davis will be imprisoned for 15 months, and one year, respectively – al-Bassam will not see jail time, but will have to complete 300 hours of community service.
The U.K.’s sentencing structure allows people convicted of crimes to serve out the second half of their sentences on “licence,” the equivalent of the United States’ parole, meaning that Ackroyd’s and Davis’ 30 month and two year sentences will result in the prison times mentioned above. The three have been free on bail since their arrests in March 2012. Two Irish Internet activists accused of participating in LulzSec have gone free without charge in Ireland, which does not have an extradition treaty with the U.S.
The acts the English activists plead guilty to—gaining access to and disseminating information from corporate and government websites—mirror the charges facing Hammond. Hammond is accused of publicizing internal emails of the private spying agency Stratfor through the whistle-blowing website Wikileaks. The emails contained many revelations, including Stratfor’s spying on Bhopal activists at the behest of Dow Chemical and monitoring Occupy Wall Street for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
United States attorneys charged Hammond with five felony counts, including three under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA). Each of the CFAA counts carries a ten-year maximum prison sentence. Written in 1984 and long criticized for being outdated and vague, the CFAA has seen increasing use against information activists in an effort to criminalize everything from the sharing of links to violating terms of service agreements.
The most highly publicized CFAA case involved 26 year-old information activist Aaron Swartz, who was threatened with decades in prison for downloading freely available documents from the academic database JSTOR. Swartz took his own life earlier this year.
“Jeremy is a gifted person who cares deeply about the world,” said Hammond’s twin brother, Jason Hammond. “My family is shocked at the treatment he has received by the Department of Justice. Jeremy is accused of committing a non-violent crime yet we are forbidden from seeing him or speaking to him on the phone, he has been denied bail and he’s facing what amounts to a life sentence.”
The National Lawyers Guild is the oldest and largest public interest/human rights bar organization in the United States. Its headquarters are in New York and it has members in every state.
Abi Hassen
Mass Defense Coordinator
National Lawyers Guild
(347) 470-5859
abi@nlg.org
May 16, 2013
New York
Three English co-defendants who plead guilty to being members of the Lulzsec hacktivist group were today sentenced by a U.K. court. Ryan Acroyd, the most technically experienced of the three, received the longest sentence – he will spend 15 months in prison.
By contrast, their American co-defendant Jeremy Hammond has already spent 14 months awaiting trial in a federal case that carries charges that could result in up to 42 years of prison time – a virtual life sentence for the 28 year old. Hammond has been denied bail or access to family members.
“It’s a disturbing commentary on the U.S. criminal justice system that Jeremy Hammond, a young activist who is an asset to his community, will spend longer in pre-trial detention for his alleged participation in these online protests than any of his international codefendants will when they have fully served their sentences,” said National Lawyers Guild Executive Director Heidi Boghosian.
The three online activists, Ryan Ackroyd and Jake Davis will be imprisoned for 15 months, and one year, respectively – al-Bassam will not see jail time, but will have to complete 300 hours of community service.
The U.K.’s sentencing structure allows people convicted of crimes to serve out the second half of their sentences on “licence,” the equivalent of the United States’ parole, meaning that Ackroyd’s and Davis’ 30 month and two year sentences will result in the prison times mentioned above. The three have been free on bail since their arrests in March 2012. Two Irish Internet activists accused of participating in LulzSec have gone free without charge in Ireland, which does not have an extradition treaty with the U.S.
The acts the English activists plead guilty to—gaining access to and disseminating information from corporate and government websites—mirror the charges facing Hammond. Hammond is accused of publicizing internal emails of the private spying agency Stratfor through the whistle-blowing website Wikileaks. The emails contained many revelations, including Stratfor’s spying on Bhopal activists at the behest of Dow Chemical and monitoring Occupy Wall Street for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
United States attorneys charged Hammond with five felony counts, including three under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA). Each of the CFAA counts carries a ten-year maximum prison sentence. Written in 1984 and long criticized for being outdated and vague, the CFAA has seen increasing use against information activists in an effort to criminalize everything from the sharing of links to violating terms of service agreements.
The most highly publicized CFAA case involved 26 year-old information activist Aaron Swartz, who was threatened with decades in prison for downloading freely available documents from the academic database JSTOR. Swartz took his own life earlier this year.
“Jeremy is a gifted person who cares deeply about the world,” said Hammond’s twin brother, Jason Hammond. “My family is shocked at the treatment he has received by the Department of Justice. Jeremy is accused of committing a non-violent crime yet we are forbidden from seeing him or speaking to him on the phone, he has been denied bail and he’s facing what amounts to a life sentence.”
The National Lawyers Guild is the oldest and largest public interest/human rights bar organization in the United States. Its headquarters are in New York and it has members in every state.
Jeremy Hammond imprisoned over a year, held without bail and with no access to family members
Contact:
Jeremy Hammond Defense Committee
(347) 470-5859
press@freejeremy.net
May 13, 2013
New York
A British court will sentence tomorrow three Internet activists who have plead guilty to being members of the Lulzsec hacktivist group. The case against Lulzsec spans three countries, England, Ireland, and the United States, where 28-year-old Chicago native Jeremy Hammond faces 42 years in prison.
Mr. Hammond’s co-defendants in Ireland are not being prosecuted at all, and his English co-defendants are likely to spend less than two years in confinement. In contrast, Jeremy Hammond has been jailed without bail or family contact for 14 months now.
“We have seen again and again the aggressive behavior of prosecutors who are exploiting the vague language in the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act to threaten young activists with decades in prison. Jeremy Hammond’s treatment and disproportionate sentencing is a mark of overzealous prosecutions that have destroyed young lives and continue to intimidate some of our brightest and most engaged young people,” said National Lawyers Guild Mass Defense Coordinator, Abi Hassen. The National Lawyers Guild is supporting the Jeremy Hammond Defense Committee.
The three UK activists, Ryan Ackroyd, Jake Davis, and Mustafa al-Bassam plead guilty to computer hacking charges for their participation in the online activist group LulzSec.
The UK’s sentencing structure allows people convicted of crimes to serve out the second half of their sentences on “licence,” the equivalent of the United States’ parole, meaning that Ackroyd, Davis and al-Bassam will likely leave prison after a few years at most. The three have been free on bail since their arrests in March 2012. Two Irish Internet activists accused of participating in LulzSec have gone free without charge in Ireland, which does not have an extradition treaty with the US.
The acts the English activists plead guilty to—gaining access to and disseminating information from corporate and government websites—mirror the charges Jeremy Hammond is facing. Hammond is accused of publishing internal emails of the private intelligence agency Strategic Forecasting (Stratfor) through the whistle-blowing website Wikileaks. The emails contained many revelations, including that Stratfor spied on Bhopal activists at the behest of Dow Chemical and monitored Occupy Wall Street for the US Department of Homeland Security.
United States attorneys charged Hammond with five felony counts, including three under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA). Each of the CFAA counts carries a ten-year maximum prison sentence. Written in 1984 and long criticized for being outdated and vague, the CFAA has seen increasing use against information activists in an effort to criminalize a broad spectrum of online activity. Offenses range from violation of terms of service agreements to the simple sharing of links. The most highly publicized CFAA case involved 26 year-old information activist Aaron Swartz, who was threatened with decades in prison for downloading freely available documents from the academic database JSTOR. Swartz took his own life earlier this year.
“Jeremy is a gifted person who cares deeply about the world,” said Hammond’s twin brother, Jason Hammond. “My family is shocked at the treatment he has received by the Department of Justice. Jeremy is accused of committing a non-violent crime yet we are forbidden from seeing him or speaking to him on the phone. He has been denied bail and he’s facing what amounts to a life sentence.”
The Jeremy Hammond Defense Committee is a coalition of family members, activists, lawyers, and
other supporters who are working together to protect free speech and to support Jeremy Hammond. The
committee’s goal is to provide information to the public and the press, to organize events related to free
speech and Jeremy’s case, and to support Jeremy while he is in jail.
For more information: www.freejeremy.net
###
Contact:
Jeremy Hammond Defense Committee
(347) 470-5859
press@freejeremy.net
May 13, 2013
New York
A British court will sentence tomorrow three Internet activists who have plead guilty to being members of the Lulzsec hacktivist group. The case against Lulzsec spans three countries, England, Ireland, and the United States, where 28-year-old Chicago native Jeremy Hammond faces 42 years in prison.
Mr. Hammond’s co-defendants in Ireland are not being prosecuted at all, and his English co-defendants are likely to spend less than two years in confinement. In contrast, Jeremy Hammond has been jailed without bail or family contact for 14 months now.
“We have seen again and again the aggressive behavior of prosecutors who are exploiting the vague language in the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act to threaten young activists with decades in prison. Jeremy Hammond’s treatment and disproportionate sentencing is a mark of overzealous prosecutions that have destroyed young lives and continue to intimidate some of our brightest and most engaged young people,” said National Lawyers Guild Mass Defense Coordinator, Abi Hassen. The National Lawyers Guild is supporting the Jeremy Hammond Defense Committee.
The three UK activists, Ryan Ackroyd, Jake Davis, and Mustafa al-Bassam plead guilty to computer hacking charges for their participation in the online activist group LulzSec.
The UK’s sentencing structure allows people convicted of crimes to serve out the second half of their sentences on “licence,” the equivalent of the United States’ parole, meaning that Ackroyd, Davis and al-Bassam will likely leave prison after a few years at most. The three have been free on bail since their arrests in March 2012. Two Irish Internet activists accused of participating in LulzSec have gone free without charge in Ireland, which does not have an extradition treaty with the US.
The acts the English activists plead guilty to—gaining access to and disseminating information from corporate and government websites—mirror the charges Jeremy Hammond is facing. Hammond is accused of publishing internal emails of the private intelligence agency Strategic Forecasting (Stratfor) through the whistle-blowing website Wikileaks. The emails contained many revelations, including that Stratfor spied on Bhopal activists at the behest of Dow Chemical and monitored Occupy Wall Street for the US Department of Homeland Security.
United States attorneys charged Hammond with five felony counts, including three under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA). Each of the CFAA counts carries a ten-year maximum prison sentence. Written in 1984 and long criticized for being outdated and vague, the CFAA has seen increasing use against information activists in an effort to criminalize a broad spectrum of online activity. Offenses range from violation of terms of service agreements to the simple sharing of links. The most highly publicized CFAA case involved 26 year-old information activist Aaron Swartz, who was threatened with decades in prison for downloading freely available documents from the academic database JSTOR. Swartz took his own life earlier this year.
“Jeremy is a gifted person who cares deeply about the world,” said Hammond’s twin brother, Jason Hammond. “My family is shocked at the treatment he has received by the Department of Justice. Jeremy is accused of committing a non-violent crime yet we are forbidden from seeing him or speaking to him on the phone. He has been denied bail and he’s facing what amounts to a life sentence.”
The Jeremy Hammond Defense Committee is a coalition of family members, activists, lawyers, and
other supporters who are working together to protect free speech and to support Jeremy Hammond. The
committee’s goal is to provide information to the public and the press, to organize events related to free
speech and Jeremy’s case, and to support Jeremy while he is in jail.
For more information: www.freejeremy.net
###
February 20, 2013
Nathan Tempey
Communications Coordinator
communications@nlg.org
(347) 948-4721
New York
The National Lawyers Guild is hosting a press conference before a federal court hearing in which the chief judge of the U.S. District Court in Manhattan will decide on a motion calling for her recusal from the case of Jeremy Hammond.
Jason Hammond — Jeremy Hammond’s twin brother
Michael Ratner — President Emeritus, Center for Constitutional Rights
Alexa O’Brien — Journalist, Founder, US Day of Rage
Press Conference and Rally at 9:30am
Court hearing begins at 10:30am
Press Conference — Foley Square, Center and Pearl streets
Livestream — http://www.ustream.tv/wearechange
The chief judge of the U.S. District Court in Manhattan will decide Thursday on a motion brought by NLG lawyers representing Jeremy Hammond, who is accused of hacking the private security firm Stratfor. The motion calls on the judge, Loretta Preska, to step down from the case because her husband, a client of Stratfor, was directly affected by the hack.
“The conflict of interest here is clear cut,” said NLG Executive Director Heidi Boghosian. “Judge Preska is required to avoid the appearance of bias so that, even if she owned one share of Stratfor stock, she would be obligated to recuse herself. How can she be impartial when the case directly affects the man she wakes up to every morning?”
The recusal hearing is the latest development in the case stemming from a December 2011 hack which released millions of internal emails and the personal information of over 800,000 clients of the private intelligence firm Stratfor. Publishedthrough the website Wikileaks, the emails lay bare the company’s inner workings and its relationships with government and corporate clients including the Department of Homeland Security, Dow Chemical, and Goldman Sachs.
Guild lawyers representing Jeremy Hammond filed the recusal motion in December. The email address and password of Preska’s husband, Thomas Kavaler, are among those disclosed in the Stratfor hack. Kavaler uses the affected email address for business at the law firm Cahill Gordon & Reindel, where he is a partner and where Judge Preska once worked. In addition to Kavaler’s information, private emails of major corporate clients to his law firm, including Merrill Lynch, were disclosed in the hack.
Hammond is one of five people arrested for the online action led by FBI informant Hector Monsegur, known online as Sabu. Hammond is also accused of participating with Monsegur in a hack of the Arizona Department of Public Safety website in protest of the state’s anti-immigrant SB 1070 law. Hammond has been held without bail since his arrest in March 2012 and has been in solitary confinement for over three weeks.
“Jeremy shouldn’t be in jail right now and Judge Preska knows it,” said Jason Hammond, Jeremy Hammond’s twin brother. “An anonymous group of people disrupted the elite world she lives in and now she’s trying to make an example out of him. There’s no way he can get a fair trial in her courtroom.”
Hammond is charged with one count of computer hacking conspiracy, one count of computer hacking, and one count of conspiracy to commit access device fraud. The charges fall under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, a statute written in the 1980s which has drawn widespread criticism for being outdated and vague. In a pretrial hearing, Judge Preska said that Hammond is facing from 35 years to life imprisonment.
The National Lawyers Guild is the oldest and largest public interest/human rights bar organization in the United States. Its headquarters are in New York and it has members in every state.
Nathan Tempey
Communications Coordinator
communications@nlg.org
(347) 948-4721
New York
The National Lawyers Guild is hosting a press conference before a federal court hearing in which the chief judge of the U.S. District Court in Manhattan will decide on a motion calling for her recusal from the case of Jeremy Hammond.
Who:
Heidi Boghosian — Executive Director, National Lawyers GuildJason Hammond — Jeremy Hammond’s twin brother
Michael Ratner — President Emeritus, Center for Constitutional Rights
Alexa O’Brien — Journalist, Founder, US Day of Rage
What:
A federal judge is scheduled to decide on a recusal motion brought by Hammond’s NLG lawyers. A press conference will precede the hearing.When:
Thursday, February 21, 2013Press Conference and Rally at 9:30am
Court hearing begins at 10:30am
Where:
Hearing — 500 Pearl Street, Courtroom 12A, New York, NYPress Conference — Foley Square, Center and Pearl streets
Livestream — http://www.ustream.tv/wearechange
The chief judge of the U.S. District Court in Manhattan will decide Thursday on a motion brought by NLG lawyers representing Jeremy Hammond, who is accused of hacking the private security firm Stratfor. The motion calls on the judge, Loretta Preska, to step down from the case because her husband, a client of Stratfor, was directly affected by the hack.
“The conflict of interest here is clear cut,” said NLG Executive Director Heidi Boghosian. “Judge Preska is required to avoid the appearance of bias so that, even if she owned one share of Stratfor stock, she would be obligated to recuse herself. How can she be impartial when the case directly affects the man she wakes up to every morning?”
The recusal hearing is the latest development in the case stemming from a December 2011 hack which released millions of internal emails and the personal information of over 800,000 clients of the private intelligence firm Stratfor. Publishedthrough the website Wikileaks, the emails lay bare the company’s inner workings and its relationships with government and corporate clients including the Department of Homeland Security, Dow Chemical, and Goldman Sachs.
Guild lawyers representing Jeremy Hammond filed the recusal motion in December. The email address and password of Preska’s husband, Thomas Kavaler, are among those disclosed in the Stratfor hack. Kavaler uses the affected email address for business at the law firm Cahill Gordon & Reindel, where he is a partner and where Judge Preska once worked. In addition to Kavaler’s information, private emails of major corporate clients to his law firm, including Merrill Lynch, were disclosed in the hack.
Hammond is one of five people arrested for the online action led by FBI informant Hector Monsegur, known online as Sabu. Hammond is also accused of participating with Monsegur in a hack of the Arizona Department of Public Safety website in protest of the state’s anti-immigrant SB 1070 law. Hammond has been held without bail since his arrest in March 2012 and has been in solitary confinement for over three weeks.
“Jeremy shouldn’t be in jail right now and Judge Preska knows it,” said Jason Hammond, Jeremy Hammond’s twin brother. “An anonymous group of people disrupted the elite world she lives in and now she’s trying to make an example out of him. There’s no way he can get a fair trial in her courtroom.”
Hammond is charged with one count of computer hacking conspiracy, one count of computer hacking, and one count of conspiracy to commit access device fraud. The charges fall under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, a statute written in the 1980s which has drawn widespread criticism for being outdated and vague. In a pretrial hearing, Judge Preska said that Hammond is facing from 35 years to life imprisonment.
The National Lawyers Guild is the oldest and largest public interest/human rights bar organization in the United States. Its headquarters are in New York and it has members in every state.
